Just 289 spectators watched the men's European Volleyball Championship group match between Ukraine and Israel in Sofia on Thursday, played at the Arena 8888 Sofia, which can hold almost 12,500 people. The low turnout came despite a number of Polish fans staying on after the earlier match that evening to watch it.
The Ukraine-Israel game followed Poland's own group match against Portugal, which drew 867 spectators to the same arena. Poland's team, coached by Nikola Grbic, is competing in Group B of the tournament alongside Ukraine, Israel, Bulgaria and Portugal.
Not even close to a record
Despite the sparse crowd, the 289-attendance figure did not come close to the worst turnout in European Championship history, and was not even among the ten lowest on record for the competition, according to figures provided by organizers.
Low attendance at less prominent group-stage matches is a recurring issue in international volleyball. At last year's World Championship in the Philippines, a group match between Qatar and Romania, opponents of Poland, drew only 312 spectators, a figure that surprised some observers given the Philippines' reputation for strong volleyball interest.
Bulgaria has hosted major volleyball tournaments only occasionally through its history, starting with the European Championship in 1950, followed by the World Championship 20 years later and another European Championship in 1981. Over the past 11 years, Bulgaria has co-hosted the European Championship three times, in 2015, 2023 and 2026, and jointly hosted the 2018 World Championship with Italy.
Other low-attendance matches from recent tournaments include a Cuba-Puerto Rico game in Varna in 2018 watched by 230 fans, while two matches in a parallel group in Ruse that year each drew 450 spectators. A Slovenia-Belarus match at the 2015 European Championship in Varna attracted 350 fans, and a Slovenia-Croatia match at the 2023 edition drew just 250. A Turkey-China match at the 2022 World Championship in Ljubljana, held after Slovenia and Poland took over hosting duties from Russia, was watched by only 90 people, with several other matches there drawing just 10 more than that. The lowest figure of all came at the 2021 European Championship in Ostrava, where a Belarus-Montenegro match was watched live by just 67 people.
Why some Polish fans stayed
Two fans from Krakow, wearing shirts reading "Poland," told the reporter they had decided to stay for the second match for three reasons.
Our match against Portugal was so short and nothing much happened in it, so we thought the second match might be better in that respect. We also wanted to see the Israeli team, which our players will face in their next match. And we didn't want the players to feel bad playing in front of an empty arena.
The fans also noted that ticket prices in Sofia were far more accessible than for volleyball matches in Poland. Seats closer to the court cost 50 euros, while seats further back cost 10 euros less, and a special section on the court itself in front of the lower stands costs 100 euros.
One of the fans said that in Poland, a ticket for a seat in the lower stands costs 400 zloty.
Fans from other countries, particularly Bulgaria, may not view those prices the same way. Tournament press office staff said the ticket prices were considered high from the perspective of a local spectator attending a volleyball match.
Empty seats even for the hosts
Price is not the only factor. Bulgaria's own opening match against North Macedonia on Wednesday was officially a sellout, with the last available tickets reportedly sold the day before. Yet the arena, which holds almost 12,500 people, saw plenty of empty seats, with attendance recorded at just under 9,000.
The match coincided with the Bulgarian Super Cup football final in Sofia, also involving two local clubs, Levski and CSKA, which kicked off half an hour earlier. Conversations with local residents suggested some fans chose football over volleyball because of the scheduling clash. Bulgaria's next match, against Portugal on Friday, drew 10,678 spectators.
The only Sofia match considered certain to be a major attendance success is the final Group B game, in which host nation Bulgaria will face Poland. Tickets for that match, reportedly boosted by strong demand from fans of Poland's team, the top-ranked side in the world rankings, reportedly sold out quickly some 300 days in advance.
Limited promotion in the city
Less competitive matches naturally draw smaller crowds, a pattern seen across sports generally. But walking around Sofia in recent days, the reporter noted that organizers did not appear to be pushing hard to promote the tournament to people not already following volleyball. The city center has no posters advertising the event, with the only visible promotion a large ball installed at a single location.
Passersby questioned about the tournament often had no idea that matches were taking place just a few kilometers away. A handful of banners advertising sponsors of the Bulgarian national team appear only near the arena where matches are held. A large screen intended to show matches in one of the city's parks reportedly will not be ready for use for several more days.
Given those circumstances, the turnout for Thursday's Ukraine-Israel match was not surprising. Whether the 289-spectator figure remains the lowest of this tournament, or is surpassed in the coming days, remains to be seen.
